Honda Motor Co. plans to introduce a new crossover in China in the fourth quarter to sustain its fast sales growth in the market.

 

The new model, the all-wheel-drive Honda Avancier, was unveiled at the Beijing auto show last week. It will become Honda's new flagship light truck in China.

 

The crossover is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

 

The Avancier was specifically developed for the Chinese market. It will be produced at Honda's joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Co. in the south China city of Guangzhou.

 

At the Beijing auto show, Honda launched sales of the redesigned Civic compact car. It also unveiled the conventional hybrid version of the Accord midsize sedan. The hybrid Accord will go on sale in the third quarter.

 

In the first three months, Honda's China sales rose 11 percent to 261,731 vehicles, thanks to strong demand for two compact crossovers, the XR-V and Vezel.